Recovery Committee to Discuss Future of 21 Properties in Waterways

Properties in Waterways will soon know if they will be able to rebuild.

On Wednesday, the Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee will discuss the municipality possibly acquiring 21 properties at their pre-fire values.

The Recovery Task Force is recommending the sales of these properties.

Fifteen of these properties are in Zone 3A, one is privately owned in Zone 4, and the remaining five are in Zone 3 with two properties on Cliff Avenue and three on High Avenue.

Originally, the yellow area, Zone 3, showed high-risk of slope movement but homeowners could rebuild, however, without certain luxuries such as pools, decorative ponds, or in-ground sprinklers system.

The Task Force notes all 21 properties are at a high-risk of land movement after reviewing the slope stability assessment done in the neighborhood.

From November 2016 to January 2017, Thurber Engineering monitored the stability in these areas, focusing around Cliff Avenue. They determined that by acquiring the lots while mitigating would lower the risk of any land movement.

The committee will also hear reports about soil stockpiling, life-cycle of the municipality’s landfill, Canadian Red Cross’s one-year numbers, ReLeaf Canada, Fuse Social’s third social profit sector wildfire impact survey, and the rebuild of a Métis historic site.